Seattle, up close: client visits & insights of the market

Last week, Blend's Chief Growth Officer Michel Hebrant completed a round of client visits across Seattle's architecture and design firms, reinforcing existing partnerships and, in the process, getting a clear picture of where the regional AEC market actually stands.

The read: cautiously optimistic. Not every firm is busy, but the ones that are moving with intention and the pipeline ahead is more concrete than it's been in years.

The pipeline is real and it's stacking up 

The clearest signal from the trip: a large-scale multi-family residential rollout is getting underway, with multiple projects phasing in from concept design through full DD and CD production. The structure is sequential and stackable, the kind of workload that, once it starts, tends to compound. Blend is already positioned to support from the SD phase onward, with BIM dedicated teams expected to mobilize in the second half of 2026.

On the commercial side, at least one major project is moving from DD into CD production with the full Blend team staying on. The client is actively promoting Blend within their own network, a sign that trust built on delivery translates into organic growth.

A market finding its footing 

Although some firms have paused growth until the pipeline becomes clearer, the overall tone across the visits was one of steadiness, not retreat. One pattern Michel noticed: the firms that stayed active through the slow period are now the first to see new work arrive. Protecting capacity during a downturn turns out to be a competitive move. For those already in motion, having a production partner already embedded is what keeps momentum from stalling when projects stack up.

Showing up in person isn't about closing deals. It's about understanding where each firm actually is, and being there when the work is ready to move.